Local rabbi: Economics may hold key to Middle East peace

Friday

Sep 23, 2011 at 12:01 AMSep 23, 2011 at 11:18 PM

While politicians vigorously debate how to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East, Rabbi David Meyer believes the answer lies not only through mutual recognition and security, but also in creating viable economic opportunities within the future Palestinian state.

Susan Jacobs / Jewish Journal

While politicians vigorously debate how to achieve a lasting peace in the Middle East, Rabbi David Meyer believes the answer lies not only through mutual recognition and security, but also in creating viable economic opportunities within the future Palestinian state.

The spiritual leader of Marblehead’s Temple Emanu-El came to that understanding on a recent Rabbinic Leadership Mission to Israel, where he met face to face and dined with high-level Israeli and Palestinian politicians and business leaders. The intimate experience gave him a rare, insider’s look into the rapidly changing scenario unfolding in the volatile region.

“If the trip had been limited to [just meeting with] political leadership, I probably would have come away entirely pessimistic, because both sides are very entrenched in presenting their arguments, and it is difficult to find glimmers of hope. The businesspeople, on the other hand, seem energized,” Meyer said.

He added, “Economic opportunity is critical to life satisfaction and an important antidote to terror. Although capitalism can create social classes, that is better than a floundering economy that breeds hopelessness, which is a feeding ground for suicide bombers.”

Meyer, a Reform rabbi, was selected to participate in the unique two-day mission along with six other North American rabbis representing a cross section of political, religious and philosophical ideologies.

The event was orchestrated by The Media Line, an independent news agency based in Jerusalem committed to presenting balanced coverage of the Middle East. The rabbis, who self-financed their trips, were selected because of their strong support for the state of Israel, and their willingness to consider both sides of the story.

On Sept. 6, the group convened in Jerusalem with key Israeli government officials, high-level military spokespersons and economic leaders. On Sept. 7, the group ventured into the West Bank as guests of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who provided them with extensive security and police escorts. In and around Ramallah, the group conferred with high-level officials from the PA and key business people, hoping to expand economic development in the region.

When discussing his experience, Meyer admitted he is hesitant to refer to the region as “Palestine.”

“Everyone is calling the West Bank ‘Palestine,’ even though it has not been formally recognized as such,” he said. “I know it’s practically a done deal, but I’m not fully comfortable with it yet.”

Regardless of its name, Meyer was clearly impressed with all the new construction and development going on there.

“Many people go to the West Bank and just see the poverty and refugee camps. We got a more balanced view of the good things that are happening there,” he said.

“We had an unbelievable level of access on both sides,” he noted, adding, “All the speakers seemed to relish the chance to have frank conversations with American rabbis who came as individuals, rather than as a ‘delegation’ from some agency or organization with set agendas.”

Meyer and his colleagues dialogued with noted Israelis, including Ofir Gandelman, Arab affairs advisor to Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Mark Regev, Netanyahu’s chief spokesman. Their conversations ran the gamut from Turkey to social unrest and the Palestinian quest for statehood at the UN.

The rabbis didn’t hesitate to ask the Palestinian leaders they encountered tough questions. In a meeting with Gassan Khatib, PA director of the Government Media Center, Meyer pointedly inquired about Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. Khatib told him that “was not an issue, because Israel’s existence will be established by borders.” Meyer was less than satisfied with that answer.

Meyer was more impressed by the businessmen and women he interacted with. At Quds Bank, he shared a pleasant conversation with the bank’s director general, Azzam Shawwa, who believes that economic development will play a key role in establishing peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. They agreed that when people invest in business, it indicates a trust and optimism about the future.

Meyer and his colleagues also met with Avi Nudelman, CEO of the Israel-Palestinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Mohammad Abu Ein, chairman of the Palestinian Importers-Exporters Union. The pair is working to create business partnerships in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.

“According to Nudelman, there is $4 billion per year of trade currently going on between the Israelis and Palestinians, despite the security and bureaucracy issues that make it a challenge for them to do business together,” Meyer said.

The rabbis visited a coffee shop owned by Huda el Jack, a Palestinian woman who is modeling her shops after a successful Israeli chain.

“Although the hospitality was sincere and effusive, as a rabbi I frankly felt like a fish out of water sitting in the coffee shop among the Palestinians,” said Meyer, who was cautioned not to speak Hebrew while there.

The rabbis were dazzled by a visit to Rawabi, a state-of-the-art planned city located 20 minutes north of Ramallah. Modeled after a similar project in Morocco, the $825 million project is financed by a private equity fund. A fair amount of the money is coming from Jewish sources.

Meyer firmly believes that business ventures such as these will build the foundation for peace and prosperity in the region.

This article originally appeared in the Jewish Journal and is reprinted with permission.

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